A wild, rugged beauty

The West Coast is amazingly rugged and broken with high cliff faces and a rocky shoreline. The Tasman Sea feels almost overwhelming in mass with strong currents and endless waves - so different to the calm, consoling Pacific Ocean.

We spent a night at the Punakaiki Beach Camp. Ferrari needed to be on a leash at all times, something she didn’t like at all, so in the end she slept sulkily on the couch instead of being outside. The Punakaiki area is known for its pancake rocks and blowholes and is on the edge of the Paparoa National Park. The rocks are formed by layers of dead marine creatures overlaid by mud and clay. Indigenous wildlife flourish and I can announce with great pleasure that I saw a few weka next to the road. We were looking for these at Milford Sound, but couldn’t find any. Sadly, there was no way to stop and take a photo.

Impressive cliffs at Punakaiki Beach Camp.

Beach access from right behind our campsite.

A rugged coast line.

A little sunshine behind the waves.

A little unimpressed - Ferrari stretching out on the table. The non-slip mat behind her is for when she sits by the window when I drive. (Not that my driving is that bad!)